‘Why are we only talking about chia and quinoa?’

“Years ago, I studied nutrition in Florida and would have had a much better life there as a single parent, but I really wanted to return to my roots and do something in India,” says Mukhi. So she set up The Health Shop in 1990, later packaged and sold grain and organic produce through Conscious Food. Next, she started the Farmers’ Market in Mumbai—a haven for people seeking fresh produce. “Made in India products are what I look for most,” she admits. “I’m decidedly anti-foreign goods because I look at them as being ecologically unsound. We have so many seeds and millets in India, why are we only talking about chia and quinoa? People complain about the cost of organic local produce but will spend five-figures on a pair of Italian shoes. Across the world, people are looking to India for wisdom and knowledge. We should too, or we stand to lose all our stored genetic wisdom and agricultural heritage in one generation. The future of Make in India is fantastic; our indigenous herbs and vegetables are increasingly proving to be beneficial. My kitchen is devoid of exotic produce, yet the outcome of my recipes is exotic.”